Sandy's Nutcracker
by Silver-Green Serpent
Summary: Sandy can't leave a cry for good dreams unaided, but this cry for help might be a bit more hectic than he would have thought. Throw in Pitch, a Christmas party and there's a recipe for one unforgettable dream.


**Disclaimer- I don't own anything, not Sandy, not Rise of the Guardians**.

**Forgot to post this on Christmas night, so as a Christmas present on the day of the Magi, enjoy!**

Sandy loved Christmas night, the time when the dreams were sweet and long, due to the prolonged nights and the joy and peace that radiated from everyone. The Christmas parties were fun to watch as well, though none ever quite equaled the fun and joy to be had at the Christmas parties of North.

Sandy, on his last route before swerving up to the North Pole, stopped at an old fashioned house, booming with laughter and spirit in the wake of a full swing Christmas party.

Drawn in, he perched on the edge of the window sill, watching quietly. He laughed when the boys chased the girls around the parents' legs, and when the mysterious black hooded man came to the house, he watched with unbridled fascination.  
Surprise showed on his face, when the dolls erupted from the presents the man had given to the family of the house. They danced and tumbled, while the guests and family looked on in wonderment.  
When the dances commenced, he twirled a few times in sync with them, smiling widely to himself, and swaying to the rhythm of the music.

The gifting of the Nutcracker to the girl left him touched, the way she cradled and fondled it. Watching intently, he was sad when its arm was broken, but was relieved when the black cloaked man mended it neatly with the snow white handkerchief. He thoroughly enjoyed himself the entire evening, and when the guests left in the carriages waiting out front, he prepared to leave and finish his journey to the North Pole. The family of the house retired upstairs to their beds, the children sleepily falling into their own, and the parents laughing quietly still, before dozing off.

Sandy swooped away intent on making it to North's party. But only made it a few meters before he heard whimpering. Coming back to the house, he peered in the windows until he found the source of the noise. It was at the young girl's room, Clara he believed she was called, and she was crying quietly.

Upon entering through the window, he immediately knew why. Pitch, towering above her, played games with his Nightmares, which frolicked around her head. Sandy's deep amber eyes reflected his anger. Hovering over to the bed, he met Pitch's haughty gaze, and sent a stream of dream sand into the dream.

Looking down, he realized what had been in the dream before he'd sent his sand into it. The tiny figure of the girl, Clara, was surrounded by rats as big as the girl. They surrounded and clawed at her. When his sand interfered, a figure suddenly broke the circle of claws and rescued the girl. The figure had the form of a wooden Nutcracker, and he drove the rats crawling away. Sandy smiled, seeing the familiar Nutcracker Clara had gotten only that night embedded in her dream. The best dreams came with familiar things imbued in them.

Pitch, upon seeing his nightmare disitegrate before his eyes, pushed again. Plunging his arms into the dream, he infected it with darkness again.  
The figure of the Nutcracker was suddenly wrenched from Clara, and was caught in a battle with the king of the rats. The king had shaggy dark hair, and a wicked sword. With his eyes gleaming black, Pitch inserted himself inside the dream, hacking at the Nutcracker. Biting and clawing, the Nutcracker was losing against the overwhelming tide of the rat king.

Sandy, determined not to let even one inch of dream be infected on this most special of nights, set his hands into the dream. Suddenly, the Nutcracker was handed a sword by a small bunny. Behind the bunny clad in bright blue, were legions of soldiers, in the same uniform of blue and yellow. Among them was a drummer boy with golden hair and large amber eyes smiling widely. Both spirits battled with each other for control of the dream. Finally, the rat soldiers fled, leaving the Nutcracker to finish his fight with the rat king. Managing to land a glancing blow on the Nutcracker, the rat king swooped in to finish him off. Just as he was about to, a shoe wacked him in the head. Turning he saw the small drummer boy and the girl standing beside each other, the drummer boy glaring defiantly into the Nightmare king's eyes, while the girl glared at the rat king's ugly visage. Just as he was about to turn back to the Nutcracker, he felt the blade of a sword pierce his chest, and looked down to see it protruding from his torso.

Falling, the rat king died, his crown rolling to the girl's feet. The Nutcracker fell to his knees beside the rat king's body, and gasped for breath through the pain of his injury. While the girl rushed toward him, the small drummer boy frowned. Suddenly, he smiled and waved his hands. The shape of the tall cloaked man at the party who had brought the presents appeared. Swooping in, he healed the Nutcracker and transformed him into his human form.  
The Nutcracker prince invited Clara to join him, offering to show her his kingdom. Clara, happily accepting, climbed into his carriage, and was carried away to the Nutcracker's home. The little drummer boy smiled after them and waved silently.  
The black-hooded man, looking at him intently, seemed to understand who he was, and shook the little drummer boy's hand in respect then vanished into the clouds of mist.

Sandy, satisfied with a job well done, emerged from the dream and looked to see Pitch keeled out on the floor beside the dream.  
Securing the dream threads to last the little girl the entire night and ensure a visit to the wonderful Kingdom of Sweets, he floated over to the prone form of the Nightmare king.  
Lifting him up on a cloud of golden sand, Sandy left the stately house, and settled Pitch in a comfortable position under a tree. Dousing him with a good chunk of dream sand, he guaranteed that the children of the world would be free of Nightmares for the rest of the night.  
Leaving the Nightmare king dreaming of butterflies and fields of sunshine filled with the figure of a small girl and a tall smiling man, Sandy conjured a small hang-glider and flew at top speed toward the North Pole, intent on downing at the very least five glasses of eggnog before the hour was through.


End file.
